Royal Ascot Day Five Preview - 18/06/22

The first race on the final day of the Royal Ascot 2022 festival is the Listed Chesham Stakes over 7f and Alfred Munnings for Aidan O'Brien could be a serious animal.

Two year old son of Dubawi with the yard not having many from this sire which is interesting and when unleashed on debut in May at Leopardstown over 7f he was an emphatic winner by nearly five lengths.

Having won easily there looked to be much more in the tank that day and with him sure to improve for the run like most of O’Brien’s do he could turn out be a special individual and O’Brien has targeted this race in the past with some of his best up and coming juveniles.

Next up is the Group Three Jersey Stakes over seven furlongs and Monaadah for Saeed bin Surorr takes the eye in a big way from a value perspective.

This yard normally is associated with being a Godolphin only stable but this lad looks to be an exception and a quality one at that.

Raced three times during his career to date making his debut at Meydan over 7f in March he went on to win a Conditions race by 4 1/2 length, running on easily.

Sent back over to England in May he made it 2/2 on the all weather at Newcastle when just getting the job done close home in a novice stakes event.

Seeking a hat-trick he got the job done at Kempton seeing off the talented Audience for the Gosden’s, getting to the front and staying on well to win by close to two lengths.

7f is his trip, and currently around the 15/2 mark he looks the value in the field having a superb pedigree and now seeking a four timer

One of the feature events on the afternoon is the Group Two Hardwicke Stakes 1m4f and Hurricane Lane should not be beat in this.

A superb son of Frankel for Charlie Appleby and Godolphin who had a blistering three year old Campaign last term winning the Dante Stakes at York before finishing third in the Derby when losing a shoe.

He then put things right when getting up late in the day in the Irish Derby to land his first Group One and he kicked on from there taking the Grand Prix De Paris at Longchamp and then up in trip winning the St Leger in breathtaking style.

Last seen in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe finishing a valiant third he holds the best form by a country mile in this field and if fully wound up shouldn’t be beat and is one of the bankers of the meeting for us.

The feature event of the afternoon at is the Group One Platinum Jubilee Stakes over six furlongs and we have had two goes in this one with 27 runners heading to post.

We can’t look past the Australian raider Home Affairs in this one the four year old has so much going for him especially with James McDonald in the saddle already riding two winners this week.

Seen twice this year the colt holds a key piece of form from his seasonal debut when seeing off the highly talented Nature Strip by a short head in a Group One over 5f at Flemington.

Nature Strip obviously came out this week in the King’s Stands Stakes and Bolted up by close to 5 lengths and holding that form line makes him very tough to beat for the same handler.

Stepped up to six furlongs last time out he finished midfield in a big fielded affair and although needing to be better than that, his form with Nature Strip is hard to look past.

Sacred looks to be an each way player off the back of her form last term making three appearances and winning two of them in good style including the Group Three Nell Gwyn Stakes and the Group Two Hungerford Stakes.

As a two year old she was a smart sprinter finishing second in the Group Two Queen Mary Stakes at Ascot and also the Group Two Lowther Stakes at York.

She handles the track and should be fresh having not been seen for almost 10 months.

One of the trickiest events to find a winner in on the Saturday is the Class 2 Wokingham Handicap and we again have two picks.

The first is the James Fanshawe trained Fresh who has been lined up for this race for sometime and off a mark of 98 it could be his big chance to land a race at Royal Ascot having finished second in the race last year.

A course and distance winner at the track last May off a mark of 91, he was then second in this race off 96.

Not so good at Goodwood after that but back at Ascot up to 7f in heavy ground he was a bold third of 16 in a good handicap event.

Starting this term at Kempton over 6f when a short head second in a Class 2 Handicap he was last seen back at the Berkshire track finishing a staying on fourth over 7f in the Victoria Cup.

Back down to his optimum trip of 6f for this event off the same mark of 98, he could be tough to beat if at the top of his game, I just can’t get away from his ascot form.

As an alternative to Fresh, Blackrod is a solid contender for Michael Dods being a great yardstick over the years and still only on a mark of 100 could go well.

Having been a fair juvenile winning one of his three races, everything seemed to click for him last season, winning some good races between five and six furlongs.

Needing his debut run at Haydock in May when only seventh in a handicap off 88, he then got onto quicker ground at York in June and finished a superb second to the talented First Folio off 3lb lower.

Still on a handy mark of 87 he got off the mark for the season at Newmarket on the July Course and landed a good 17 runner handicap, again on quick ground.

Dropped to five furlongs at York, now on a mark of 91 he scooted up again seeing off a nice type in Digital for Kevin Ryan.

Off the same mark in his second to last start at Ayr in September he was a gallant third of 24 in the Ayr Silver Cup, showing he loves these big fielded handicaps on good ground.

Last time out on seasonal debut this season he got back to winning ways off a mark of 95 in a 19 runner handicap.

5lb higher he won that fairly easy and could still go well.

The penultimate race on Saturday sees the Golden Gates Stakes Handicap over 1m2f and again we have dutched this race with a win and each way selection.

The John & Thady Gosden trained three year old is a very interesting customer in this race, constantly contracting in price having been 14s at one point and is now around 8/1.

Seen four times this term he made his debut at Newbury over a mile when third behind My Prospero who has since franked the form and back in second that day was Thesis who landed the Britannia Stakes on Thursday at Royal Ascot.

Next time out he was stepped up min trip to 10.5f at Chester and was only beaten by Secret State who has also franked the form at Royal Ascot this week landing the King George V Stakes Handicap.

To add to Hontion’s form line, on his penultimate start he was seen at Newcastle over 10f finishing a good third behind Eldar Eldarov, who this week stepped up to Group Two company to land the Queen’s Vase.

The Godolphin colt, having bumped into some superstars finally got off the mark at Sandown last time out in a Maiden Stakes on good to firm ground, hosing up by nine lengths.

This horse holds some of the best form seen this week and now handicapping his mark of 94 could be very lenient and he looks a steal at 8/1 still for me.

At a bigger price is the George Boughey trained Tollard Royal at around 28/1 with the three year old son of Ribchester set to improve massively for a step up in trip.

Racing twice as a juvenile and winning on debut at Kempton over a mile he then ran below par at Chelmsford and was put away for three year old campaign.

Making his reappearance at Beverley over 8.5f he won in good fashion in a novice stakes giving over a stone away to the second.

Looking to make it back to back wins at Haydock he finished a good fifth of 10 on handicap debut, with horses like Whoputfiftyinyou, Mighty Ulysees and outgate all franking the form last time out.

Big player off a mark of 90.